Written by Kelly Lapadula, Digital Marketing Manager at Easterseals SoCal
If you attended Comic-Con International this year, you might have been greeted by one of our Easterseals’ Adult Day Services (ADS) participants from the San Diego region. They spent their morning on Thursday, July 20 working as volunteers, surrounded by their favorite movie and comic characters.
In past years, ADS participants have enjoyed walking around outside of the San Diego Convention Center during Comic-Con to watch the action and enjoy some of the free activities. But this year, participants expressed their interest in volunteering so they could be a part of the event.
“For many of our participants and associates, this was the first time being inside of the Convention Center, so being able to see the excitement up close and personal was a huge highlight,” said Vanessa Englefield, Director, Adult Day Services. “The organizers of Comic-Con were very accommodating and gave every volunteer a collectable bag, badge and stickers.”
While volunteering, 10 Easterseals participants greeted guests and handed out items like lanyards, collectible books, and bags. After their shift, they walked around the main floor to look at all of the art and collectibles.
This volunteer activity is just one example of Easterseals’ effort to ensure ADS activities and outings are person-centered, meaning the participants get to decide how and where they want to spend their day.
“Here in San Diego, it has been our goal to find more volunteer opportunities and to provide individuals with meaningful experiences to participate in their community,” said Vanessa. “The volunteer event was open to any and every ADS participant that wanted to attend. Participants were also able to pick what job they wanted to have while volunteering.”
After a successful and fun event at Comic-Con, all of the participants who attended are already requesting and planning on volunteering next year.
To learn more about Easterseals Adult Day Services program, visit our website.
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